Yeah I could do that. I am pretty certain though I will not want a box in that end of the tank...I know myself and it will most likely drive me nuts ;) My fiance has already said she thinks it will "kill the look of the tank" and that I better not spend $600 on something that looks so bad :lol: Being in the MIDDLE of the room, the tank is a center piece and need to look nice.

Probably should walk away from the idea at this point :neutral:

what about..
 

I'm no tank builder, but could you build a small arcylic box to cover/seal the drilled intake from the inside of the tank (seal with epoxy)? This would allow you to work to uncap from the exterior of the tank and work on plumbing without draining as the box will act like an airlock in between the drilled part and the water. Once complete just remove the box (maybe cut away the epoxy??)

just my 2 cents...

Yeah that could work.

I also just realized that since it is a closed loop, I could actually plumb the whole thing and then just uncap the intake and allow water to drain...there is nowhere for the water to go since its a closed loop :)

hahahaha...
Gotta love it when a plan comes together....lol

So for those of you using the Vortech MP40, do you think it can get a similar effect (wave) as the wavebox on a 6' tank?

I love my vortech, I just picked up a second one today. standard 90G 4' tank. I'm playing with it for wave action but I cannot get them to make a decent wave. I just need some practice I think I have seem them make insane waves in videos.

I have a 6' tank with two MP40W's and I can can get a pretty good wave goin. Everything sways back and forth quite nicely and I haven't even spent much time tweaking them.

I have a VorTech MP40W in my 75 gal, 4 foot tank. It's costly but I don't regret the purchase in the least, the flow is amazing. I'm even hoping to get a second one to install on the opposite side. Then I can dial them down a little and eliminate a slight dead spot I have on the side of the tank without the pump. I'm planning a 90 gal in the future and I'm sure two will be the ticket for that.

For your 6 footer you will definitely want two VorTechs. With the controllers you'll have no problem creating a wave, even if you have to install them both on the same side. I run mine in long pulse mode about 4 inches below the surface, which doesn't create a surface wave, but does provide a natural undulation of my BTA and a distinctive undertow along the substrate.

Some of the earlier responses to this thread mention building an acrylic box inside the tank to see how a wavebox might look. Well, if you don't want to see the dry side of the VorTech with it's wires on the outside of the tank, you may consider doing the same thing to hide the dry side of the pumps inside your tank. You'll need to make sure the box, whether glass or acrylic is completely waterproof and perhaps extends a little higher than the top of your tank. That shouldn't be an issue since that part will be hidden by your canopy. The 'dry' box will need to be about 2 and 1/2 inches deep to house the dry side and the wet side will protrude another 2 and 1/2 inches into the tank, so probably just about as unsightly as a wavebox. This is a solution some folks have used that have tanks whose panes exceed 3/4 inch thickness, which is the max thickness that a VorTech can handle without the wet side falling off. They build a dry box with sides of a smaller thickness and away they go.

Great advice. Thanks!

I am looking for exactly what you said you are getting with the swaying back and forth and a nice undertow along the sand. I don't actually care much about an actual wave on the surface, just the benefits of the swaying flow.

So sounds like two would be the way to go. Except I don't want to spend close to $1140 for them ;)

I will have to keep thinking about a solution...

Yes, 1140 is a big hit all at once. I had a little difficulty justifying the purchase of an item that cost more than my entire used tank set up set me back. You must have some other devices currently providing flow? Even one of them will provide plenty of flow but in the long term your tank will benefit from two of them. Why not try it with one and get another later to spread out the pain a little?

One thing I should mention is that the VorTech will make some noise at full speed, so if that's going to be an issue, keep it in mind. If you hide the dry side in a box inside the tank, that would eliminate the noise.

With respect to the surface wave, as mentioned at 4 inches below the surface the VorTech creates good agitation at the surface meaning good gas exchange/oxygenation, but no signifcant surface wave. This will cause less of an issue with your overflow than the surge of a wavebox.